Mail-box.



PATENTED FEB. 14, 1905.

J. E. GRAHAM.

MAIL BOX.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 28, 1904.

UNITED STATES Patented February 14, 1905. I

JOHN E. GRAHAM, OF GREENVILLE, MICHIGAN.

. MAIL-BOX.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N o. 7852,7418, dated February 14, 1905. Application filed May 28, 1904. Serial No. 210,285.

To (ZZZ whom, it may c0ncern:

Be it known that I, J OHN E. GRAHAM, a citi- Zen of the United States, residing at Greenville, in the county of Montcalm and State of Michigan,haveinvented a new and useful Mail- Box, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in mail-boxes employed in the rural free-delivery system. As is well known, the great desideratum in this type of box is a structure which may be opened, closed, and the signal properly positioned with the greatest ease and convenience and in the least amount of time possible on the part of the collector and distributer.

It is the aim in the present instance to secure a box having all the above advantages, the number of necessary operations on the part of the collector being reduced to a minimum and said operations being extremely simple and readily performed. Moreover, said ,structure is capable of being cheaply manufactured, and the parts are such that they are not liable to become injured or deranged.

through usage or exposure to the elements.

The preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure 1 is a perspective view of a mail-box with the signal elevated and in position to indicate that there are contents contained in the box to be collected. Fig. 2 is a vertical crosssectional view through the box with the signal turned at right angles to the position shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a detail view similar to Fig. 2, but showing the signal depressed. Fig. 4 is a detail longitudinal sectional view showing the signal partially depressed and indicating its position when at a state of rest and totally depressed. Fig. 5 is a detail perspective view of said signal. Fig. 6 is a horizontal sectional view through the signal.

Similar reference numerals indicate like parts throughout the several figures of the drawings.

In the embodiment illustrated the mail-box comprises merely a body 7 that is oblong in form and has a top 8 hinged thereto along one edge, as shown at 9, said top constituting the closure for the body. These parts in themselves constitute no portion of the present invention and may be changed as desired.

Secured to the cover or top 8, contiguous to the rear edge of the same and extending transversely of said cover, is a spring 9, comprising a looped wire the spaced legs of which are secured at their rear ends to the cover by means of a plate 10. The front ends of said legs are connected by a cross-piece 11, constituting a pivot upon which the block 12 is journaled, said block having angularly-disposed bearing-surfaces 13 and 14, adapted to respectively rest on a shoulder 15, formed on the front portion of the cover when said block is turned and being held in this position by the spring 9. The block 12 carries a standard 16, rigidly secured thereto and swinging therewith. This standard projects below the block and has an offset hook portion constituting a latch 17, adapted to engage a rib 18, formed upon the adjacent portion of the body 7. The lower end is, moreover, provided with an outstanding handle 19, by means of which the standard may be swung from an upright to a depressed position, or vice versa.

The upper end of the standard 16 constitutes a journal upon which a signal is rotatably mounted, said signal comprising a faceplate 20, having rearwardly-turned cars 21, the rear edges of which are curved, as shown at 22. Located between the ears and suitably s ecured thereto is a boxing 23, through which the upper end of the standard 16 extends. The portion of the standard within the boxing has an angular block 24:, against the sides of which bears a spring 25, also located within the boxing. When there is no mail in the box, the signal is depressed, as shown in Fig. 3, being held in this position by the flat face 13 hearing against the abutment 15 of the cover. If now the patron introduces mail which is to be collected, the cover is simply opened, the mail deposited, and the signal raised. This latches the cover, as will be evident, and the said patron then turns the signal so that the face-plate thereof can be seen by the collector. This indicates that there is mail in the box to be collected. The collector on reaching the box merely throws the standard to its depressed position, thereby effecting two operations first, the unlocking of the cover, and, second, the turn ing of the signal from its position transversely of the box to one longitudinal of the same, or, in other words, facing the home of the patron. This movement will be apparent by reference to Fig. 8. As the standard swings toward its horizontal position and the face 13 of the bearing-block is brought down flat against the abutment 15 by the action of the spring 9 the rounded edges 22 of the ears 21 will strike one of the legs of the spring 9, and consequently the signal will be partially revolv ed upon the standard to the position indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 4c. In this position it is held by the spring 25 bearing against one face of the block 24, and said spring also serves to hold the signal in its other position, as will be clearly evident. After having withdrawn the matter within the box if there is mail for the patron the collector deposits the same in said box, closes the cover, and swings the standard to an upright position. This effects the latching of the cover, and the signal will be in position to indicate to said patron that there is mail delivered. On the other hand, if no mail is to be delivered the .signal is allowed to remain in its depressed position.

With this structure it will be seen that the collector has very little to do, merely unlatching thecover, and thereby effecting the change of the signal, afterward, if necessary, again elevating the standard. These operations are not only simple, but may be easily and expeditiously performed. The structure itself is also of a very simple character, and the parts are such that they are not liable to become damaged or deranged through long or rough usage or exposure to the elements.

From the foregoing it is thought that the construction, operation, and many advantages of the herein-described invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art without further description, and it will be understood that various changes in the size, shape, proportion, and minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a mail-box, the combination with a body, of a closure therefor, a signal, and a locking member for the closure movable toward and from an operative position,said looking member constituting actuating means for simultaneously moving the signal upon the movement of said member from its operative position.

2. In a mail-box, the combination with a body, of a closure therefor, a locking member for the closure having a movement to and from an operative position, and a movable signal rigidly associated with the operative member and being moved to and from an operative position upon the corresponding movement of said locking member.

3. In a mail-box, the combination with a body, of a closure therefor, a locking member for the closure pivoted between its ends, and a signal associated with one end of the locking member and movable upon the movement of said end.

4:. In a mail-box, the combination with a body and closure, of a latch for securing the closure, a pivotal support for the latch and a signal carried by and swinging with the latch upon the movement of said latch upon its pivotal support.

5. In a mail-box, the combination with a body and closure, of a latch pivoted to theclosure and arranged to engage the body, said latch carrying a standard that is movabletherewith, and a signal carried by the standard and swinging with the latch.

6. In a mail-box, the combination with the body, of a closure therefor, a standard pivoted between its ends and arranged to assume an upright or adepressed position, asignal carried by and supported on the upper end of the standard and swinging therewith, and alatch carried by and swinging with the lower end of the standard for securing the closure in closed position.

7. In a mail-box, the combination with the body, of a closure hinged thereto, a standard pivoted between its ends upon the closure, a signal carried by the upper end of the standard and swinging therewith, and a latch carried by the lower end of the standard and arranged to engage the body for securing the closure in its closed position.

8. The combination with a receptacle, of a yieldingsupport, and asignal mounted on the support and having angularly-disposed bearing-faces for holding said signal in different positions.

9. In a mail-box, the combination with a receptacle, of a swinging signal having angularly-disposed bearing-surfaces adapted to hold the signal in different positions, and a yielding pivot-supportfor the signal, said support maintaining the signal in such different positions.

10. In a mail-box, the combination with a receptacle, of a spring secured at one end to the receptacle, a bearing block pivotally mounted on the other end of the spring and having angularly-disposed bearing-surfaces adapted to rest upon a portion of the receptacle when said block is turned, a standard carried by the block, and a signal mounted on the standard.

11. In a mail-box, the combination with a receptacle having a movable closure,of a yielding member, a bearing element carried by the yielding member and having angularly-disposed bearing-surfaces, a signal, and a latch connected with the bearing element.

12. In a mail-box, the combination with a body, of a movable closure for the same, a spring mounted on the closure, a bearingblock secured to the spring and having angularly-disposed bearing-faces adapted to rest upon such closure when the block is turned, a standard carried by and projecting beyond opposite sides of the block, a latch carried by one end of the standard and arranged to engage the body, and a signal mounted on the opposite end of the standard.

13. In a mail-box, the combination of a support movable to different positions, of a signal mounted on the support and movable thereon to different positions, and means for automatically efl'ecting the movement of the signal on the support when said support is moved.

14. In a mail-box, the combination with a swinging support movable to diiferent positions, of a signal mounted on the support and movable thereon to di-tferent positions, and means located in the path of movement of the signal for automatically effecting the movement of the same on the-support when said support is swung.

15. In a mail-box, the combination with a swinging support movable to different positions, of a signal rotatably mounted on the support, and means for automatically effecting a partial rotation of the signal on the support when said support is swung to a predetermined position.

16. In a mail-box, the combination with a swingingly-supported standard, of a signal rotatably mounted thereon, said standard havingangularly-disposed faces, and a spring carried by the signal and arranged to engage the different faces upon the rotation of said signal.

17 In a mail-box, the combination with a swinging standard, of a signal rotatably mounted on said standard and having curved portions, and means located in the path of movement of said curved portions when the standard is swung, to eiIecta partial rotation of the signal on the standard.

18. In a mail-box, the combination with a body having a movable closure, of a movable latch for holding the closure in closed position, a signal movable with the latch and also having rotative movement with respect thereto, and means for automatically effecting such rotative movement when the latch is swungto a predetermined position. 19. In a mail-box, the combination with the body, of a closure for the same, a standard one end of the standard for holding the closure in closed position, and a signal rotatably mounted on the other end of the standard.

20. In a mail-box, the combination with a body, of ahinged cover for the same, a spring secured at one end to the cover, a bearingblock having angularly-disposed faces, said bearing-block being pivoted upon the spring, a standard secured between its ends to the bearing-block, a latch formed upon the lower end of the standard and adapted to engage the body, a signal rotatably mounted upon the upper end of the standard, and means for holding the signal in different positions upon the standard, said signal being arranged to engage the spring when the standard is swung to a substantially horizontal position and being thereby partially rotated upon the standard.

In testimony thatI claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto 'aflixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

JOHN E. GRAHAM.

IVitnesse's:

ALBERT BECK, SMITH A. Boo'rH. 

